


Meeting Grandpa Cooper

by stepmnstr



Category: The Big Bang Theory (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-03
Updated: 2015-07-03
Packaged: 2018-04-07 13:01:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4264143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stepmnstr/pseuds/stepmnstr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A family reunion leads to a surprise for Sheldon and Amy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Meeting Grandpa Cooper

**Author's Note:**

> Posting this for a friend, Deacon Parsons, who doesn't have an account here.

Meeting GRANDPA COOPER  
By Deacon Parsons 

 

OPENING SCENE:  
Saturday afternoon, Lenard and Penny, Sheldon and Amy, Howard and Bernadette, Raj and Emily are sitting in the apartment discussing what they should do for the day.  
Sheldon’s mother quickly enters the apartment without knocking. She closes the door silently and leans back with a look of foreboding on her face.  
SHELDON  
(Rising and going to the door to Mom)  
Mom, why are you here? What is happening? Why didn’t you call?

MOM  
(Looking at him firmly as if she is delivering bad news)  
Now Sheldon, don’t be upset, be calm….

(Sheldon gets a quizzical look on his face)  
MOM  
(Holding both his arms with her hands, looking deeply in his eyes)  
Sheldon, Gra’pa Cooper is down stairs parking the Eldorado, he will be here any minute. 

SHELDON  
(Face clouds up like a toddler about ready to cry, speaks in a soft scared voice)  
But why? What did I do? I didn’t do anything wrong Mommy, really I didn’t……….

MOM  
(Hugging and comforting him)  
I know Shelly, shoosh, you didn’t do anything wrong. Gra’pa Cooper just needs to talk to you, that’s all.

SHELDON  
He scares me Mommy, he has always scared me…..

MOM  
I know son, Gra’pa Cooper is a very intense and hard man, but he loves you. He always has and just wants to do right by us. Now remember, when you greet him, look him in the eye and give him a firm handshake...  
SHELDON  
I know, I will……..

(We hear footsteps on the stairs; accompanied by the jingle bobs of spurs…..they stop in front of the door.)  
GRANDPA COOPER  
(Knock, knock, knock) Sheldon  
(Knock, knock, knock) Sheldon  
(Knock, knock, knock) Sheldon

Everyone but Mom and Sheldon recognize the similarity of Sheldon’s knock to Gra’pa Cooper’s. Sheldon opens the door. A giant of a man fills the doorway. He wears a black Stetson Big Montana with a peak crease, salt-n-pepper hair and beard, a black silk wild rag about his neck. He wears a white shirt with a red silk western cut vest, a watch & chain with fobs and a Texas Ranger badge. A pair of ivory stocked converted 1860 colts butt-forward on a black leather gun belt with nickel cartridges. A black gunfighter cut topcoat, black pants, black pointed toe cowboy boots and large rowel spurs. He is a big quiet cowboy, a cross between John Wayne and Gary Cooper. 

GRANDPA COOPER  
Howdy son. I’ve come to have important words with you. Your mother suggested that we call first, but I know being around me frets you something awful and I decided it was best to just show up.  
I apologize for the breach of etiquette.

SHELDON  
(Doing his best to make and keep eye contact)  
I understand Gra’pa, (extends hand for handshake) Please come in and meet my friends. 

GRANDPA COOPER  
(Gra’pa Cooper takes Sheldon’s hand, they have a slow firm shake. Their eyes met in a silent moment)  
(Gra’pa Cooper removes his hat and enters the apartment, hugs Mom and says softly)  
That went better than I expected Baby Girl, you are right, he has grown up a mite

MOM  
Thank you Daddy Cooper, I am very proud of him.

GRANDPA COOPER  
As Am I. 

Sheldon moves to introduce Gra’pa Cooper to the gang. As Mom passes by the guys she reiterates silently “eye contact, firm grip”

SHELDON  
Everyone this is my Grandfather, John Cooper.  
Gra’pa, this is my friend Rajesh Koothrappali

GRANDPA COOPER  
Nice to meet you Rajesh. (Shakes hand)

SHELDON  
And Raj’s friend Emily Sweeney

GRANDPA COOPER  
Pleased to make your acquaintance Miss Emily. (Air kiss on the hand)

SHELDON  
My friend Howard Wolowitz and his wife Bernadette

GRANDPA COOPER  
Nice to meet you Howard, (Shakes hand) Mrs. Wolowitz (Air kiss on the hand). Howard, aren’t you the Astronaut? 

HOWARD  
(Kind of sheepishly)  
Yes, Sir, that’s me.

GRANDPA COOPER  
Brave thing to do. I am sure your folks are proud of you. I wanted to be a Martian colonist by now, but NASA is a bit behind schedule.

SHELDON  
My roommate Leonard and his fiancé Penny 

GRANDPA COOPER  
Leonard (Shakes hand), Miss Penny (Air kiss on the hand) 

SHELDON  
Gra’pa, this is my friend Amy Farrah Fowler. 

GRANDPA COOPER  
(Gra’pa takes both her hands)  
So this is Miss Amy. Ma’am you are the reason for my visit. Baby Girl said you were quite the handsome woman but your pictures don’t do you justice. You are truly beautiful. 

AMY  
(Blushing and shyly) You’re too kind Sir, I am not all that pretty.  
(Sheldon and Mom try to silently stop her from saying this)

GRANDPA COOPER  
(Suddenly stern)  
Young Lady, are you calling me a liar?

AMY  
(Startled and flustered) huh? uh no.., I didn’t mean.. I uh…. 

GRANDPA COOPER  
(Still stern)  
Either you have to be beautiful or I have to be a liar, which is it?

AMY  
(Sheepishly) I have to be beautiful? 

GRANDPA COOPER  
(Still stern)  
Well then, let’s see it, let it out..

Amy puts on her ‘tiara face’ and smiles up at Gra’pa, their eyes meet, Gra’pa’s countenance melts

GRANDPA COOPER  
(Softly)  
That’s it, baby girl, that’s the way you should always feel

(Gently takes her face in both hands and softly kisses her on the forehead, Amy stays in this state for the remainder of the scene.)

(Turning to Sheldon)

GRANDPA COOPER  
Son, we will speak over supper tonight. Call and make reservations for us somewhere nice, and something I can eat, no raw fish, no California bunny foo foo or anything. Beef, it’s what’s for dinner. 

(Turning to the room)  
I’d admire to have you all as my guests tonight, please join us.

(Turning to Mom)  
Babygirl, I will go get us checked into the hotel. You will want to spend some time with your son. Call me and let me know what time and where for supper. I’ll come back by and pick you up.  
Grandpa Cooper exits and the room breaks up into two-ish groups. The guys gravitate around Mom and Sheldon, the gals around Amy, who is still in a state of shock/grace.

SHELDON  
Why is he here now? He hasn’t been around in years, and he just shows up out of the blue? He doesn’t even like me, and what does Amy have to do with anything? 

MOM  
Sheldon Lee Cooper that is enough of that! He LOVES you, it’s you that doesn’t like him. You know that being around Gra’pa Cooper has always made you nervous. He knows it too and it almost kills him. He has been watching and following you your whole life, staying out of the way to let you have room to grow. 

SHELDON  
What do you mean?

MOM  
Do you think that the jobs I had after your father died really paid all our bills? Gra’pa Cooper paid off the house, bought us cars, groceries and made sure that all you kids had whatever you needed. When you won scholarships, he went in and made sure the second runner up got the same scholarship that you did. Too proud to let someone else pay for his kin’s education, but too proud of you to take away what you earned yourself. 

RAJESH  
Wow, how could he afford that? 

SHELDON  
Gra’pa Cooper is loaded. He is a west Texas millionaire. 

LEONARD  
So, how come you still have to work? 

SHELDON  
Gra’pa is rich, I am not. He doesn’t believe in spoiling kids. 

BERNADETTE  
He’s wearing a badge and carrying guns. I thought he was some kind of police officer like my Dad?

 

MOM  
He is, after he got home from the war he joined the Texas Rangers. Even when he made his money he still stayed active as a Ranger. He has protected and served his whole life. He doesn’t know any other way to live. He also believes in watching out for family. Good thing he owns this building. 

PENNY  
Which war? 

MOM  
Vietnam.

HOWARD  
Mr. Cooper owns this building?

MOM  
Of course he does, you don’t think you can just blow up an elevator and nobody notice do you?  
(Everyone looks at Leonard, who smiles and waves nervously…)  
He had to lower almost everybody’s rent because of that elevator…..

LEONARD  
Ok, well how did he know it was us?

MOM  
He has a lot of experience with Shelly, and guess which apartment DIDN’T complain about the elevator being broken? 

(Leonard, kind of mouths “oh yeah” and sort of slinks to the back of the group)

RAJESH  
Why doesn’t he have the elevator fixed? 

MOM  
(Glares at Raj)  
Because, young man, you can’t just go around blowing up elevators without consequences.  
(To Sheldon) Shelly, let’s get those reservations made…..

Shift focus to the gals standing around Amy.  
PENNY  
Amy, are you ok? 

 

AMY  
(Still dreamily) I AM beautiful. He looked me in the eye and I saw he believed it. He made me say it, and I FELT it. 

BERNADETTE  
Yeah, like he has some kind of power, but not in a creepy way. In a scary but nice way. Can there be a scary but nice way?

AMY  
I was in trouble, then I wasn’t. It is like I quit fighting him and he protected me.

EMILY  
I know, it’s like you know he is dangerous but you instinctively trust him? What’s that all about? 

MOM  
(Steps over with the gals)  
Girl’s that is what we used to call a ‘real man’. 

BERNADETTE  
(Light-bulb-over-head look)  
Amy, you know what we just saw? An Alpha Male!!!! Not one of those puffed up egotists phony’s but a real bona fide old school man’s man alpha male.

AMY  
(Still on a bit of a buzz)  
Like the human equivalent of a silver-back gorilla? Can’t be, those are extinct. 

BERNADETTE  
They thought the coelacanth was extinct too, but it wasn’t. Do you realize what this means? 

AMY  
(Getting excited)  
I can do a biology paper on him and perhaps get published? 

BERNADETTE  
Right! We need to get dressed for dinner and you will have to take a lot of notes…  
(End scene)

 

SCENE 2:  
At the restaurant, (Cheesecake factory?) the group files in. Amy is wearing African Safari clothes complete with pith helmet. Amy takes notes throughout the evening. As they are waiting to be seated Grandpa Cooper picks up a donation can with the picture of a child needing an operation. Grandpa Cooper steps away from the others, pulls out his ancient folding cell phone, calls a number and says:  
GRANDPA COOPER  
Frank, this is John. Lakesha Brown, 8 year old girl in Pasadena needs an operation. Check it out and take care of it.  
EMILY  
(To Mom and Sheldon)  
What was that all about?

MOM  
Frank is Daddy Cooper’s accountant.

SHELDON  
Frank will hire a private detective to research the situation. If it is not a scam, if the child really needs the help, Frank will make sure it is paid for in full. 

MOM  
Anonymously of course, well in Jesus’ name. Daddy Cooper only asks that they consider going to a church of their choice and that they help someone else if they are ever in a position to do so. 

GRANDPA COOPER  
(Noticing Amy’s clothes)  
Ms. Goodall I presume?  
(Amy beams her tiara face and backs way, takes a note)

Maître’ De comes by and leads them to their table. Grandpa Cooper pulls out the chair for Mom and seats her. All the other guys do likewise except Sheldon, who plops down right beside his mother. Amy remains standing. 

GRANDPA COOPER  
(Looking at the menu)  
Sheldon, have you forgotten your cotillion training? Miss Amy is waiting to be seated. 

Flustered, Sheldon realizes his faux paus, jumps up and seats Amy, who loves it. 

SHELDON  
I beg your pardon Miss, uh er Amy  
The waitress come to Grandpa Cooper, who orders for both himself and Mom

GRANDPA COOPER  
The lady and I will have the Filet Mignon. She likes hers well done, baked potato, and blue cheese dressing on her salad. I will have mine rare, fries and Italian dressing on my salad. We will have cherry cheesecake for desert. The lady will have iced tea with her meal and coffee with desert. I will have iced tea and a glass of merlot with my steak and coffee with desert. 

The waitress goes to Sheldon, who has a lost look on his face. 

GRANDPA COOPER  
Sheldon, what will you and Miss Amy like?

SHELDON  
(Sheepishly)  
We will have the same.

GRANDPA COOPER  
(Somewhat astonished)  
Son?

SHELDON  
(Switching tactics, trying but failing to stand up to Grandpa Cooper)  
Things are different now Gra’pa, Amy is perfectly capable of ordering for herself so I don’t order for her.

GRANDPA COOPER  
(Raises eyebrow)  
Of course Miss Amy is perfectly capable of ordering for herself. That isn’t the point.  
(In the background we hear a customer becoming obnoxious with a waitress, Grandpa Cooper notices.)  
You need to pay attention to her Son, you need to show her that you know and respect her enough to be able to order for her.  
(All the gals in the other couples quietly whisper their orders to their guys.)  
You don’t know what she likes, do you.

SHELDON  
(Gets glurk face, doesn’t know how to respond)

GRANDPA COOPER  
Son, why don’t you and Miss Amy work things out with our waitress.  
(Removes badge and stands up, drawing pistols butt first and placing them on the table.)  
Mind these for me, I will be back directly.  
Grandpa Cooper crosses over to the flustered waitress and the obnoxious customer.  
(We hear his spurs jingle.) 

GRANDPA COOPER  
Pardon Ma’am, would you mind standing right over there for a moment, I need to speak with this gentleman….. (The waitress gratefully egresses) thank you.

To the obnoxious customer:  
Mister, are you having a bad day today or do you always act like a complete jackass?

OBNOXIOUS CUSTOMER  
What are you talking about?

GRANDPA COOPER  
I was afraid of that, you ain’t acting are ya boy?

OBNOXIOUS CUSTOMER  
She is just a waitress and I am just having a little fun, what’s your problem?

GRANDPA COOPER  
JUST a waitress? Mister that young lady has an honest job and nobody has to be ashamed of an honest job. If you can’t treat working people any better than this maybe you should just eat your own cooking at home until you learn some respect for folks. 

OBNOXIOUS CUSTOMER  
(Getting more angry)  
Just who the hell do you think you are? 

GRANDPA COOPER  
I am John BY-GOD Cooper, Pecos County Texas.  
If you come looking for me ask anyone I ain’t hard to find.  
Now BOY, you have a choice. You can apologize to that young lady with your teeth… or without them. 

OBNOXIOUS CUSTOMER  
(Startled at the prospect of violence)  
What? 

GRANDPA COOPER  
Ah kinda stupid too huh? What I mean BOY, is that if the next words out of your mouth aren’t begging that young lady’s pardon I am going to whoop your ass right here in front of God and everybody. 

Other diners applaud. Grandpa Cooper and obnoxious customer stare each other down for a moment. Eventually obnoxious customer signals the waitress to approach. 

OBNOXIOUS CUSTOMER  
(Not quite contrite, but working on it.)  
Miss, I apologize for my behavior. I did in fact order this meal and I will be happy to eat it. 

GRANDPA COOPER  
Good decision, there is hope for you yet. Enjoy your meal.

The obnoxious customer sits down. Grandpa Cooper turns to leave. The obnoxious customer scoots his chair out as if to get up again, Grandpa Cooper stops, (spurs get quiet). Obnoxious customer reconsiders and goes back to eating his meal. Grandpa Cooper returns to his table, replacing his pistols and badge. (All the orders have been taken.)

The flustered waitress comes over to Grandpa Cooper.

FLUSTERED WAITRESS  
Thank you, I didn’t know what I was going to do.

GRANDPA COOPER  
You’re very welcome young’un. You shouldn’t have to put up with that kind of thing from anyone. Could you please ask the manager to come over? 

Already on her way, the manager arrives at the table and dismisses the flustered waitress.

GRANDPA COOPER  
(Drawing his wallet)  
Are you the manager? 

MANAGER  
Yes sir, I am Jennifer McCray the manager here. 

GRANDPA COOPER  
Ms. McCray, I apologize for making a scene in your establishment. Please allow me to pick up everyone’s tab to help compensate your guests for their inconvenience.  
(Hands her a credit card)

MANAGER  
That is very kind of you, I would be happy to. 

GRANDPA COOPER  
Can you tell me how many workers you have on right now, kitchen and wait staff? 

MANAGER  
Not counting myself we have 14 people on the job at the moment. 

GRANDPA COOPER  
Please do count yourself and divide this up among the staff. Let them know that some of us appreciate their hard work.  
(Hands Ms. McCray 30 each $100.00 bill cash. Ms. McCray departs, Grandpa turns to his guests) 

GRANDPA COOPER  
I apologize to you ladies for that vulgar display but I can not abide a bully.  
Nor can I sit quietly as the helpless face evil. If it is a character flaw, I am at a loss of how to correct it.  
(Grandpa Cooper draws a deep breath and continues)  
Well Sheldon, I suppose I should get to the reason I came to see you. 

SHELDON  
(Squirmy and nervous)  
Ok

GRANDPA COOPER  
(Gathers his thoughts for a moment.)  
Son, as you know I own a lot. Land, cattle, horses, oil. I have bank accounts in countries I can’t even pronounce. But this is the most precious thing I own.  
(Draws a small beat up black box from his pocket, looks at it wistfully and continues)

My Dad died when I was in the 8th grade. I quit school to take care of mom and the other kids. I cowboyed, I rough necked, I farmed our small place. I did whatever I needed to do to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. In 1967 my number came up in the draft. The war was going bad by then. I didn’t expect to come home and decided I wanted to marry before I went. The thought of dying never having been with a woman and having nobody to mourn me was more than I could take. We were dirt poor, I wasn’t much of a catch. I didn’t figure I would have much luck finding a bride but…...(gestures in the air)

I’d met your Grandma Kate while I was still in school. After I quit I still saw her in church and round town once in a while, but I was too shy to speak to her much more than to say hello. But in my eyes she was the most beautiful woman I could ever dream of. I decided that even if she rejected me I would always regret it if I didn’t start my search with her. I knew her daddy didn’t care for me, but after church on Sunday I asked her if she would like to go have a hamburger with me. To everyone’s surprise she said yes. Long story short, we courted briefly and got married in a small ceremony before I shipped out to basic. I left her pregnant with your father.  
But to get engaged I needed a ring. I sold everything I had, my guns, my truck, my saddle to buy this ring.

(Opens small beat up black box showing a very small ring, with an infinitesimal diamond. Grandpa speaks almost as if to himself) 

It is only 10 carat gold and just a diamond chip, but to her it was a crown jewel. 

(Grandpa Cooper gathers his thoughts for a moment)

With Kate in my life, my world changed. Obviously, I made it home from the war. When I got back I joined the Rangers. I was able to start my businesses and eventually go full time in business and part time with the Rangers. 

Kate was the perfect woman. She loved me without end. She was a home maker in the finest sense of the word. For my part, I tried to be worthy of her love. 

EMILY  
Wow, I couldn’t be just a house wife. 

GRANDPA COOPER  
(Trying to be patient)  
Miss Emily, I know that Katie’s choice isn’t one many women make today, but I won’t have her choice insulted. She worked as hard or harder than many career women do today. Not only cooking from scratch, but growing most of our food. She made most all of our clothes. The house was always immaculate and yet always warm and welcoming. As our fortunes grew and I could afford to hire help around the house she ran the house well, but she never let anyone take care of me but her.

EMILY  
No offense meant. 

GRANDPA COOPER  
Then none taken. Knowing how much she trusted and counted on me to provide for her made me a better man. We didn’t have a 50/50 relationship. We were both all in - 100%

Anyway, after we were blessed with financial success, I tried to upgrade the ring. She wouldn’t have it. (softer) It was the only time she ever disobeyed me. 

MOM  
Daddy Cooper, I don’t want to be disrespectful, but didn’t you always used to say that Mom wasn’t allowed to die before you did? 

GRANDPA COOPER  
That’s true, but then the cancer came. At the end that was the only thing keeping her alive. After putting up with me and taking care of me for 40 years I couldn’t watch her suffer any more. 

(Grandpa Cooper holds back great emotion)

I had to let her go.

(Pregnant pause as he composes himself.)

GRANDPA COOPER  
Anyway Son, I guess I am taking the long way around the barn.  
What I came to tell you…. and to ask you…. is this:

There is 40 years of pure love bound up in this ring. When the day comes for you to ask Miss Amy for her hand, I would be… beholden and… obliged to you if you would if you would give her this ring when you propose. 

SHELDON  
(Incredulous and in awe)  
You would be in my debt? You have never been in debt to anyone?  
Gra’pa I don’t understand?

GRANDPA COOPER  
Son, you and I are more alike than either of us wants to admit. The relationship you have with Miss Amy reminds me of your Grandma Kate and me. I don’t think I would have come back from the war without her love and prayers. When times got hard her smile and laugh picked me up. When I thought about quitting, I could have lived with disappointing myself, but I could never face disappointing her. Son, I know you can’t fathom it now, but Miss Amy is the best thing to ever happen to you.

SHELDON  
(Uncomfortably changing the subject slightly)  
Gra’pa, can I ask you a question? 

GRANDPA COOPER  
Sure Son

SHELDON  
What did you do in the war? 

 

GRANDPA COOPER  
(Deep sigh, very sullen)  
I killed people Son, I killed people. 

SHELDON  
(Hesitant to continue, but can’t not)  
Very many? 

GRANDPA COOPER  
I killed 134 that I know of, in the jungle you don’t always know for sure, but I know I killed 134 people.

EMILY  
That’s a pretty specific number?

GRANDPA COOPER  
Miss Emily, I have what they call a photographic memory.  
(Everyone realizes this is where Sheldon got his eidetic memory)  
I can’t forget anything, ever. 

LEONARD  
I can’t imagine going through something like that, and then to never be able to forget it?

GRANDPA COOPER  
The worst were the two children I had to shoot. Charlie would pull the pin on a grenade, hand it to a little kid and tell them if they took it to the GI’s we would give them candy. Once the kid has the grenade there is no saving them. You either choose to kill the child or die with them. 

RAJESH  
Mr. Cooper, how do you live with something like that? 

GRANDPA COOPER  
I pray a lot Son.

BERNADETTE  
Then why did you become a Texas Ranger when you got home? I would have thought that you would have had enough of things like that? 

GRANDPA COOPER  
Well Mrs. Wolowitz, first of all there is a big difference between a soldier and a peace officer. A soldier shoots to kill. A peace officer shoots to save. As it turns out, I am good at killing people. There is evil in the world and someone has to face it down. If I face down evil, you don’t have to.

MOM  
Here comes our meals…

GRANDPA COOPER  
Good, we can use a distraction and change of subject. Would anyone mind if I said grace? 

Scene ends before anyone answers or prayer is said.

SCENE 3:  
Next day at the apartment getting ready to leave. 

HOWARD  
Mr. Cooper, did I understand you to say that you had only been with one woman ever. That is kind of amazing and uh well, unusual isn’t it?

GRANDPA COOPER  
It didn’t used to be so unusual. I suppose I lag behind other men when it comes to breadth of experience, but I am second to none in depth. 

PENNY  
Mr. Cooper, back in Nebraska it is still pretty common for country couples who lived a lot like you and your wife, that when one passes away, the other, even if in perfect health, follows quickly. I don’t want to be morbid, but the relationship you two had was obviously very deep.  
Why are you still here?

GRANDPA COOPER  
Well, I considered not hanging around. But Kate and I had one last big trip planned and I decided to try and take it for the both of us.

EMILY  
What trip is that?

GRANDPA COOPER  
(Looks at Sheldon)  
Go to Stockholm to see our grandson awarded a Nobel Prize. 

BERNADETTE  
Mr. Cooper, will you ever marry again? 

 

GRANDPA COOPER  
I don’t know. Katie said I should, but I don’t know if I can. I am not easy to live with and I can’t do the disposable woman thing. Not sure any woman worth having would have any use for me. 

AMY  
(Puts bear hug on Grandpa Cooper)  
Gra’pa Cooper, I don’t know if you think I am worth having, but I want you around for a long time. 

GRANDPA COOPER  
(Hugging her back and kissing her softly on the head)  
Oh Baby Girl, you are so very much worth the having. And knowing you want me around means a lot. Thank you. Sheldon is lucky to have you in his life. 

(Pulling Amy away so he can talk to her)

You have probably already figured out that Cooper men aren’t easy to love. Being full truth-some, I can’t rightly say that we are worth it. But I am positive sure that we need it. 

(Amy nods)

MOM  
Daddy Cooper, we need to get on the road if we are going to keep your schedule. 

GRANDPA COOPER  
You’re right  
(Puts left arm around Amy and walks to Sheldon)

Son, I have never been good showing emotions. But I want you to know that I am proud of you. You are turning out to be a good man and a fine scientist. I expect great things from you. Speaking of science, I believe there is a term? Where the combined effect is greater than the sum of the separate parts?

SHELDON  
(Hesitant and slightly confused)  
Yes Gra’pa. Synergy? 

GRANDPA COOPER  
Take my advice. Don’t wait too long to marry Amy. My guess is that you will find that the two of you combined are far greater than the sum of you two separately. You need her Son. 

(As Grandpa Cooper and Mom move towards the door, Rajesh steps out.)

RAJESH  
Mr. Cooper, where I am from it is traditional to ask a wise man to share his wisdom.  
Do you have any advice on how I can be a better man? 

(Howard and Leonard step out in agreement and join Raj.)

GRANDPA COOPER  
Well, let me see gentleman…..

A man is only as good as his word. A liar is worse than useless.  
Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but deciding something else is more important than fear.  
How you treat people doesn’t reflect who they are, it shows who you are.  
Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought.  
All things in moderation, including moderation.  
If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.  
If you have nothing worth dying for, you have nothing worth living for.  
Love your maker, love your mate and do what is right because it is right and devil take the hind most. 

LEONARD  
How do I know what is right? 

GRANDPA COOPER  
Son, I found my answers in the Bible and I highly recommend it, but in the end every man has to find his own answers and live with the consequences. 

(Shakes guys’ hands, Grandpa Cooper, Mom and Sheldon move to the door, Mom steps out, Grandpa Cooper puts on his hat just outside the door and turns to speak.)

GRANDPA COOPER  
It has been a great pleasure meeting you all. I hope to see you again but nobody’s future is certain. If we do not meet again, I hope you all will (raises hand in Vulcan salute) live long and prosper. 

(Everyone kind of dazed/surprised raises their hands to return salute. End Scene. )  
SCENE 4:  
Sheldon is at his desk, gazing intently at the ring. Amy is standing beside him.

SHELDON  
I don’t understand. I know about Underdog’s ring, Green Lantern’s ring and the One True Ring of Sauron. Those are all powerful rings, but from fiction. 

This ring is real. Can the power Gra’pa Cooper says is inside be real?  
(Amy leans down and places her hands on Sheldon’s shoulders and looks him in the eyes,  
faces very close.)

AMY  
The power is real Sheldon, but it isn’t just in the ring…...  
(Hesitates and works up her courage)  
It needs something else… it needs…. me……

(Holds out her hand for the ring)

(Sheldon puts the ring on Amy’s finger, looks deeply into her eyes. He carefully moves towards her, and gently enters into a slow, open mouth kiss. His eyes widen slightly then close.)

END SCENE AND EPISODE


End file.
